‘Rough’ and ‘tireless’ Jack Willis dethrones Antoine Dupont to become second Englishman to clinch best Top 14 player award
Jack Willis is enjoying a spectacular spell at Toulouse where his latest recognition was Monday's Top 14 player of the year award, inset
Jack Willis’ incredible adventure in France enjoyed another prestigious award on Monday night when he was crowned Top 14 player of the year.
It was midway through the 2022/23 season when the back-rower originally arrived in France in an emergency after the collapse of Wasps from the Premiership left him without a club.
Willis was soon snapped up by Toulouse, and he quickly settled into his maiden French campaign that ended with the club defeating La Rochelle in the Top 14 final.
At the time, Willis was still part of Steve Borthwick’s England set-up as he was given a temporary dispensation due to the demise of Wasps.
“It hasn’t turned out too bad…”
However, with that permission to be selected for the national team while playing for a club across the Channel expiring after the Rugby World Cup, Willis stepped away from Test rugby to give everything to Toulouse.
A Top 14/Champions Cup double was won in 2024, and Toulouse completed a hat-trick of league titles with another victory last June.
Now their 28-year-old English import has been named the Top 14’s best player, following in the footsteps of Zach Mercer, who was deemed the best in 2022 after the huge part he played in Montpellier’s first-ever league title triumph.
Willis beat Toulouse teammate Thomas Ramos and Bayonne’s Sireli Maqala to the award that had been won by Antoine Dupont in 2023 and 2024.
“I have been lucky to win, but a lot of people in the team could have won it,” said Willis at the awards function staged at L’Olympia theatre in central Paris.
“All the 23 from the final, semi-final, during the season, all deserved to be here. I voted for Thomas, but Thomas voted for (Bordeaux-Begles fly-half) Matthieu Jalibert.”
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Reflecting later on his amazing run of success in France since Wasps went bust, Willis added: “It wasn’t easy when I arrived, Wasps had no money, it went quick.
“I was given an opportunity to play for six months first up; I’m very grateful to Toulouse for the incredible opportunity. Now three years later, it hasn’t turned out too bad.”
Such has been the vivid impact of Willis in the French league that his player of the year success was warmly welcomed by an array of media outlets, including rugbyrama.fr.
“Rough, tireless, celebrating each tackle like a try, Willis embodies this contagious energy that electrifies Toulouse,” they wrote in their glowing awards report.
Bordeaux winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey won the France Test player award. He scored 12 tries in eight appearances last season, including helping Fabien Galthie’s team to the Six Nations Grand Slam.
“My game is not just about scoring tries. There are other things that make a good winger. I pay attention to it, but it’s not my main concern,” said Bielle-Biarrey.
Other award winners included Toulon winger Gael Drean (breakthrough player of the season), Montauban full-back Jerome Bosviel (Pro D2 player of the year after guiding his team to promotion), and number eight Teani Feleu (France women’s player of the season).
